A Christmas gift guide

23 days till Christmas! December always seems to vanish before my eyes, and this year I fear it's going to go even quicker! This is my first year juggling working full time (😳) and doing the whole Christmas thing! However, I want to stand by the advice I gave in my first ever blog last year - which was that shopping in person rather than online is generally better for the environment, that I wouldn't buy into the throwaway gift culture that surrounds this time of year, and that I would avoid plastic wrapping paper. If you'd like to read my five suggestions for a more sustainable Christmas, you can find it here.

Today's post is a short gift guide to help you shop sustainably - I hope you find it helpful.

Gift Guide

To be honest, I don't really like gift guides! I look through them and never actually want to buy anything they suggest... However, I recognise that some people love them. And I also thought I had a few suggestions that others might love. So I have shared below a very small selection of what I think are sustainable, thoughtful gifts that will be enjoyed.

Experience gifts

These are really the most sustainable gifts you can give. Look for

theatre tickets, or plan a day trip somewhere fun, head to Thorpe Park

or Harry Potter Studios.

No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference, Greta Thunberg

£14.99 at Waterstones

"Collecting Greta’s speeches together in one volume, this timely

book lays bare the eloquence and fury that drive a global

environmental movement."

This little book is sure to set you on fire, to propel you to take action. Request it for yourself or buy it for the skeptic in your life!

On Fire, Noami Klein

£17.99 at Waterstones (currently on sale)

"On Fire captures the burning urgency of the climate crisis, as well

as the energy of a rising political movement demanding change now."

This is another great book to add to your list, Klein is even recommended by Greta herself. If it's good enough for Greta, it's good enough for me!

The Modern Cook's Year, Anna Jones

£26 at Waterstones

"An essential addition to every cook's bookshelf, The Modern Cook's Year will show you how to make the most of seasonal produce, using simple, hugely inventive flavours and

ingredients."

Cooking seasonally is important if we are going to combat

climate change - we have developed a strange relationship with food, where we can eat whatever we want whenever we want (within financial restraints of course). It's not sustainable - let

Anna Jones reconnect you with seasonal eating.

Individual eyeshadow palettes

£16 at Zao

Zao make gorgeous natural make-up products, all in

beautiful bamboo refillable packaging. Head to their

website to see their full range.

Alternatively, head to my Sustainable Beauty Brands blog

for some other beauty suggestions.

KeepCup

From £20 on Amazon

I love my KeepCup, best friend on a journey or commute.

A lot of places give you a discount if you bring your own cup (bonus)! These cups aren't expensive, you can buy them at many independent coffee shops as well as on Amazon.

Woolly Mittens

£25 from Project Cece

Project Cece curates products from over 150 ethical and

sustainable fashion brands. These mittens are made by Bibico,

"they work together with two women's cooperatives, both of

which are WFTO fair trade certified. These cooperatives not only

ensure fair trade, but also provide training for women so that they

and their children can work their way out of poverty."

These are on my list! Head to Project Cece now to get your hands on these, or have a look at what else they have to offer.

Lush products

Christmas products starting at £11

If you've followed me for a little while now, you'll know I love Lush. I've used their shampoo bars for a year now and think they're awesome! Treat someone you love (yourself?) to a fancy bath bomb, or a

massage bar. They have a great naked range (AKA no packaging), so why not have a browse for some Christmas gifts there?

Kind candles

From £25 at Self Care Co

"Each candle is hand poured in small batches. With 260g of eco-soy wax, our candles have a long, clean burn time of around 60-80 hours."

I love a good candle! And these are not only eco friendly but they support the Be Kind movement.

While we are on the topic of gifts, let's chat about wrapping... In last year's blog I wrote about the secret plastics hiding in most commercial wrapping paper, obviously it's best to avoid wrapping your gifts this way. But in the last year I have come across a new alternative to wrapping gifts. Furoshiki is a Japanese wrapping tradition. When done well I think these fabric wraps look absolutely gorgeous, and of course they can double up as a second gift! Why not wrap one or two of your gifts in this way this Christmas?

Look out for my next Christmas blog - it's gonna be all about the food 👀. In the meantime, I wish you merry Christmas shopping and hope this guide was helpful!

Love, Roxy.